Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to making an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane containing porous inorganic materials.
Materials including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are known in the art. PTFE has various well-established uses, including, for example, applications requiring lubricity (e.g., bearings, bushings, etc.) and applications requiring a porous membrane. These membrane-related applications may include, for example, filtration, venting, and/or diffusion/barrier applications. Filtration may use discs or sheets.
Additive-containing PTFE products are known. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,390 to Garrison et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,327 to McHaney et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,532 to Goldfarb; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,707 to Hori et al.